Yo Mahesh wary of Ranji Trophy break as Tamil Nadu looks to sustain momentum

Tamil Nadu head coach Yo Mahesh interacts with captain R. Sai Kishore. | Photo Credit: RV MOORTHY

Just when all the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle seemed to fall into place for Tamil Nadu, a two-month break in the Ranji Trophy comes to make way for the white-ball tournaments in November and December.

Yo Mahesh feels the interruption could disrupt the side’s momentum slightly but also sees an opportunity to plug in a few holes before the competition resumes in January.

“Definitely, the momentum will come down a bit. After a two-month gap, we will have to regroup and try to get the momentum again. That’s where the challenge is,” he told Sportstar following his team’s victory over Chandigarh on Thursday.

However, he felt the break could also work in the side’s favour, particularly for the bowlers.

“We have to make sure they get to play a few matches so that they get game time. The bowlers also get a good rest and can come back a lot fresher for the second half,” he said.

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The opening partnerships remain a concern, with the batters having struggled to convert promising starts into substantial scores.

“The opening partnership is one hole we want to plug. We have had a couple of big hundreds from Pradosh, but we want the others also to chip in,” he said.

Skipper R. Sai Kishore, meanwhile, was pleased with the seamers’ contribution, particularly after they accounted for seven wickets in Chandigarh’s first innings.

“We are not dependent only on spin anymore. Even the fast bowlers are stepping up. It goes to show that, as a unit, we are very strong,” he said.

Sai Kishore also pointed to S. Ajith Ram’s maiden first-class century as a welcome contribution from the lower order.

The pieces may be falling into place but come January, the challenge will be to pick up where it left off.